Keratoconus

What is Keratoconus?

Keratoconus is an eye disorder in which the round cornea narrows and begins to swell into a corn-like figure. This distorts light as it enters the eye. Since the cornea is accountable for refractin...

Keratoconus is an eye disorder in which the round cornea narrows and begins to swell into a corn-like figure. This distorts light as it enters the eye. Since the cornea is accountable for refracting most of the light entering the eye, a narrowed cornea leads to blurred vision, double vision, nearsightedness, and astigmatism. It is an eye disease that leads to progressive narrowing of the cornea. Usually, both eyes are affected.

In more severe cases, a marking or a circle may be seen inside the cornea. While the source is unrevealed, it is believed to be due to an amalgamation of genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors.

Symptoms

In its initial stages, the disease causes moderately blurred vision and sensitivity to bright light. As it advances, vision may become twisted. An eye specialist can diagnose keratoconus by using a slit lamp method or by inspecting the surface of the cornea by corneal topography. Symptoms of keratoconus include:

Causes

There is no fixed cause for this disease. However, medical professionals have proposed several causes that include pre-existing medical conditions, heredity factors, allergies, and excessive rubbing of the eye. It is a slow-progressing disorder that surfaces in late teens to early twenties, and may stay on for years.

Family history of the disease.

Disorders and conditions like diabetes, Down Syndrome, and those with allergies or asthma.